Miami Beach Vet Reunited With Medals Lost During Vietnam War

United States Air Force Sgt. James Anderson returned from the Vietnam War with his medals and uniforms missing after being lost on his way home to America in January 1969, a situation described by him as comparable to an airport losing a suitcase despite its irreplaceable contents. Nearly six decades later, during a ceremony held at The Betsy Hotel, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Miami Beach Post 3559 presented Anderson with new medals and uniforms to replace those that never arrived. Speaking about his experience nearly sixty years after leaving Vietnam, Anderson stated he now feels great recounting the war despite previously struggling due to severe lung function issues caused by war-related illnesses. He recalled being told nearby soldiers were carrying bags stuffed with dead GIs shortly after arriving in Da Nang and described falling behind his team into a dark marsh area while running for cover during an alert, admitting that fear was overwhelming at the time.